I’m Trapped in a Bloody Reverse Harem Game - Chapter 75

Seeing that the recommendation letter didn’t have a name, I folded the useless piece of paper in half.

“I can find him since I know his face.”

“Is that so?” Lucius replied in a disinterested tone.

It seemed a bit troublesome, but I should be able to find him quickly—or so I thought when I began searching for the attendant.

“You said you could find him, didn’t you?”

Unable to answer Lucius’s question, I leaned my exhausted body against the wall. Lucius’s palace was excessively vast, and the number of attendants was overwhelming.

Finding the person I had seen earlier among the attendants dressed in identical uniforms and bustling around was proving to be more difficult than I had anticipated.

“Are you using the excuse of looking for an attendant to wander around my palace? If that’s your intention, this otherwise pointless process becomes rather meaningful.”

Lucius sneered as he watched me leaning against the wall. Ignoring his sarcasm, which wasn’t worth a response, I reviewed the recommendation letter written by Lucinda.

“Don’t you agree, Saintess?”

“Hold on. I’m reviewing the recommendation letter again.”

The recommendation letter, written in messy handwriting, contained no information about the attendant. No matter how closely I examined it, I couldn’t find any helpful clues.

“Now that I look at it, this recommendation letter was personally written by Lucinda. It’s rare for her to write one.”

“How do you know Lucinda wrote it?”

“It’s so hastily written that it’s hard to decipher, but… Lucinda has a distinct habit in her handwriting. If you’re serious about finding the attendant, going back to Lucinda would be faster.”

Lucius, after confirming the recommendation letter I was holding, commented.

Did he expect me to take this long? If I’d known it would be like this, I should have gone back to Lucinda from the start. Wasting time wandering around had only made me more tired.

But how did Lucinda, who didn’t seem like a significant character, leave such an impression that he could recognize her handwriting?

Handing the recommendation letter to Lucius, I asked, “You recognized it just from the handwriting?”

“What else would I recognize it by?” Lucius retorted.

I frowned and replied, “The texture of the paper?”

“What? Why would I bother recognizing something like the texture of paper?”

“Well, memorizing handwriting seems…”

“Memorizing?”

Cutting off my murmured words, Lucius raised an eyebrow as if confused. Seeing his furrowed expression, I realized something.

“Oh, I see. You didn’t memorize it, you just remember it.”

A genius with arrogance and a privileged background.

If Lucius existed in the real world, he was the kind of person I would’ve avoided. Begrudgingly, I straightened up and replied with a slight sneer. While I had resolved to capture Lucius, I couldn’t help but feel reluctant.

“Where are you heading this time?”

“I’m going back to Lucinda to ask.”

Lucius, who was intelligent enough to recognize an attendant’s handwriting without meaning to, possessed a unique magic no one else had, and had the likes of Dietrich, Dion, and Adrian as his aides, still didn’t act even with the emperor in danger. It bothered me.

With these abilities, couldn’t he crush the Second Prince’s schemes without needing the player’s help? Why was his personality designed to be so indifferent?

Maybe he does nothing because he has everything. Would this character only develop urgency if something was taken from him?

I brooded over my dissatisfaction with Lucius’s characterization as I headed toward the eastern building. Walking along the sunlit path left my lips feeling parched.

Lucius scanned my expression but quickly turned away.

He probably thought my frown was due to the sunlight. While it was fortunate he didn’t find my grimace strange, the sensation of my face flushing from the heat was far from pleasant.

I quickened my pace, searching for shade.

I needed to find Lucinda, locate the attendant, and return to my room to rest.

Upon arriving at the eastern building, I asked an attendant for Lucinda, only to receive a hesitant response.

“Lucinda has gone to seek advice from Lady Beatrice.”

“Beatrice?”

“Yes. If it’s urgent, I can guide you to Lady Beatrice’s location.”

<If you visit the character ‘Beatrice’ with Lucius, you can obtain ‘Lucius’s Past Fragment.’>

Hmm… Finishing all this today might be difficult…

Pressing my throbbing temples, I contemplated the system notification. Opportunities to have Lucius accompany me weren’t common.

“Saintess, are you planning to visit Beatrice?”

Lucius questioned as I massaged my temples. Though exhausted, I realized now was the time to act. Catching my breath after moving around so much, I nodded.

“Yes.”

“Then let me guide you…”

As I answered Lucius, the attendant stepped forward to offer his assistance, but Lucius raised his hand to stop him and shook his head.

“I’ll accompany her. Your assistance won’t be necessary.”

“Yes, understood.”

After the attendant left, Lucius gestured for me to follow him.

“Come along.”

Lucius, taking the lead, increased his pace. Keeping up with his brisk stride, I had to stop momentarily to catch my breath.

What’s wrong with my body today?

While rubbing my aching head, Lucius halted his steps. As he began approaching me from the distance, a system window appeared.

<Warning! Excessive activity has caused the abnormal status ‘Heatstroke.’>

• Rest in a comfortable place is recommended.
• Recovery can be achieved with an Abnormal Status Recovery Potion.
• Abnormal Status Recovery Potion: 0.

After reading the system window, I reached out and grabbed Lucius’s arm as he approached. Though he tried to shake me off, he stopped when he saw my face.

Struggling to hold on to my fading consciousness, I stammered, “I’m feeling… a bit unwell. Can we rest… in the shade for a moment…?”

<Due to the abnormal status ‘Heatstroke,’ you will temporarily lose consciousness.>

Before I could finish my sentence, my body leaned toward the ground as I blacked out.

***

“You must remember, Lucinda, your value comes from the position you hold. If you weren’t the manager of the palace, you know they would turn their backs on you. Why would you even suggest stepping down from your position?”

Even before I opened my eyes, a sharp voice pierced my ears, causing me to furrow my brow.

The harsh, cutting tone was reprimanding Lucinda.

“I just wanted to see how Oliver would react…”

“He’s the same as everyone else. How many times must you be taken advantage of before you learn your lesson?”

“Lady Beatrice, I…”

“Do you think Oliver would have shown any interest if you weren’t the palace manager?”

“…Maybe.”

Her voice was sharp to the point of irritation.

“Get a grip. No one welcomes someone without ability.”

Who exactly was this Beatrice to be hurling such harsh criticism at Lucinda, the manager of Lucius’s palace?

I turned my head toward the source of the voice as I opened my eyes.

“Ah, Saintess, you’ve woken up.”

The woman who had been scolding Lucinda smiled at me. She was a middle-aged woman. Walking past Lucinda, who kept her head lowered, she replaced the towel on my forehead and spoke.

“You showed symptoms of heatstroke, so I took care of it. Since I had to remove some of your clothes, Sir Lucius stepped out temporarily.”

“Thank you. I…”

“Oh, I am Beatrice. I used to be Sir Lucius’s nanny.”

After touching my cheek, Beatrice lowered the towel from my forehead and handed me a cup, saying, “You won’t need the cold towel anymore. Can you sit up, Saintess?”

Although I felt slightly dizzy, it wasn’t unbearable. I sat up and took the cup from Beatrice, moistening my dry lips.

<The abnormal status ‘Heatstroke’ has been cured. Normal activities are now possible.>

Throughout Beatrice’s conversation with me, Lucinda kept her head down, tears dripping from her face.

Seeing Lucinda cry, I thought to myself.

The attendant’s name written in the recommendation letter must be Oliver, and it seemed Lucinda didn’t entirely lack feelings for him.

She had crumpled the letter but still kept it in her apron. It appeared she had some feelings for its sender.

As I watched Lucinda, Beatrice spoke to me in a tone that seemed deliberately kind. Her gentle expression and soft voice belied the sharp words she had directed at Lucinda earlier, making it clear she wasn’t as kind as she appeared.

“I heard you had something to ask Lucinda.”

“That’s correct. I did come to ask her something, but…”

“Lucinda, what are you doing in front of the Saintess? Hurry over here.”

At Beatrice’s shout, Lucinda wiped her face with her sleeve and approached me. She rubbed her face so harshly that her reddened skin bore marks from the rough fabric.

Seeing the wounds on her face, I instinctively frowned.

Beatrice, noticing my reaction, said disapprovingly, “How dare you present yourself with such a face and inconvenience the Saintess…”

“I’m sorry, Saintess. I’ll leave right after answering your questions.”

Beatrice cast Lucinda a dissatisfied look before letting out a heavy sigh.

“I’ll go fetch Sir Lucius while you talk.”

The loud sound of the door slamming shut caused Lucinda’s shoulders to tremble. Through her clenched fingers gripping her apron, I could see the outline of the letter I had delivered.

Watching Lucinda struggle to suppress her tears, I spoke, “I came to ask the name of the attendant in the recommendation letter… but I don’t think that’s necessary anymore.”

“Pardon?”

“Is it Oliver?”

Though I asked calmly, Lucinda hesitated, her lips trembling without answering.

“Lucinda.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

With a slight prod, Lucinda finally admitted it. Nodding, she asked me in a hollow tone, “If your questions are done, may I return to my duties?”

“Go ahead.”

“Excuse me, Saintess.”

Lowering her head deeply, Lucinda left the room while rubbing her eyes. Though I wanted to ask her more about Oliver and Beatrice, it didn’t seem likely I would get any useful answers given her current state.

I decided to follow the path Beatrice had taken. Just before the door closed, I noticed her move to the left, so she was likely in one of the rooms to the left.

Adjusting my disheveled clothes, I headed in the direction Beatrice had gone.

“Sir Lucius, the Saintess has regained consciousness. It was a mild case of heatstroke, so no one will hold you responsible for her condition.”

Stopping in front of a door, I heard Beatrice’s voice from inside.

As soon as I paused, a system window appeared.

<Conversation between Lucius and Beatrice>

<Upon completion, you can collect ‘Lucius’s Past Fragment (3).’>